TEHRAN – Nader Moradi from Iran claimed a silver medal at the Asia-Oceania Open Powerlifting Championships on Monday.

Moradi lifted 202kg to finish in second place at the men’s up to 80kg division.

 Gu Xiaofei took China’s ninth gold in Kitakyushu after clearing the bar at 227kg. The 29-year-old is hoping to continue improving ahead of Tokyo 2020, where he aims to claim his first Paralympic title after taking silver at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.

The bronze medal went to Kazakhstan’s Nodarzhan Khamrullayev (160kg).

Iran’s Yousef Yousefi and Rouhollah Rostami have already won two silver medals in the competition underway in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Competition will continue on Tuesday (11 September) with the women’s up to 73kg and 79kg, and the men’s up to 88kg and 97kg.